


Think no evil, Speak no evil, Write no evil

by Helice



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-30 00:30:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12642426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helice/pseuds/Helice
Summary: Let me tell you a secret in secret.





	1. Chapter 1

Have you ever wondered? 

Why are there Gods and Goddesses among Asgardians? Where do their powers come from? Why did Odin change, from the warmonger that stormed the Night Realms to the benevolent Allfather? Why did he banish his first-born and forbid anyone to ever mention her existence? Why must Hela, who can raise an army of the dead as she pleases, control not only Asgard but also Asgardians? And perhaps most importantly, what did Odin really mean when he said “Asgard is a people, not a place?”

What do you think? 

What do you believe?


	2. Chapter 2

Let us begin with a story. 

Once upon a time, there was no Asgard. Odin, son of Bor, wishing for great knowledge and great power, hanged himself upside down on a wind-rocked tree for nine days and nine nights, and came to the wisdom of the Runes. The Runes were seiðr themselves, and in spoken form, became the All-Tongue because of their power. Whatever was written, spoken or thought in Runes, would find their way to become real; and the firmer and deeper the writer, speaker or thinker’s belief of their words and thoughts, the more power would that reality carried. It was a terrible and violent power indeed. 

With this power, Odin created his people, and named them Asgardians. He taught the Asgardians to think, speak and write in Runes, but he alone knew how to wield its true power. He taught them to worship him as their king and their God, so he grew stronger. He taught them Asgardians were strong and resilient, so they became great warriors. And he taught them Asgardians’ home was Asgard, so with their dreams and hopes, Asgard came to be.

Before long, he began waging wars with this Asgardian army, so that people on other realms came to know Asgard with fear, and every Asgardian was filled with pride and hungry for Asgard’s glory. As the eight neighboring realms were conquered one after another, it seemed Odin and Asgard’s power would know no boundary. 

But one day, Odin realized he had begun to grow old. 

For he, in his exuberance and pride that first-born Hela has grown up in his image to be the finest and fiercest warrior in all Nine Realms, in his calculated naming of her to garner the belief that she could bring on as much death to their enemies as she pleased and soldiers under her command shall have a blessed death, had made the mistake of naming her the Goddess of Death.

This meant that with each victory, their belief for her was further cemented and in turn, gave her greater power. In time, she would hold power over all deaths – including Odin’s. He realized that his mistake had cost him immortality, and he would die one day. 

Odin could not allow this, so he banished Hela. He sent every soldier who once fought with her to fight her to their death – a fitting end, was it not? – and forbade anyone who knew her name from ever mentioning her existence. Gradually, those knew of the Goddess of Death and believed in her power surrendered their lives into oblivion, precisely because of they once knew of death. And with a painted-over mural, a new set of history and a new generation of Asgardians, Odin proclaimed that death would be no more. 

No more war, no more death, the Golden Age of Asgard is upon us! He said. 

Ever-lasting peace, ever-lasting life, Asgard’s Gods and Goddesses will live forever! He said. 

Asgardians listened, and believed, and so Asgard went on. 

Odin never regretted banishing Hela. She would not die, and could not be killed, as long as she truly believed herself the Goddess of Death. But without other’s belief and fear and reverence, her power would be held at bay and unable to hold sway over him. Hela would know that her power came from Asgard, for she was weakened once she was banished, but she would never know the how and why. 

Odin would thank the Gods for that, were he not the Allfather to all of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Time passed. On Asgard, each day was so much alike that it seemed one day would last an eternity. 

Odin married Frigga. She had the unique ability in weaving the fabrics of seiðr in his favor, without conscious knowledge of his intention. And if sometimes he suspected she knew something more than anyone else, well, at least that knowledge remained her secret alone. He made her the Goddess of Love, Family, Marriage and Harvest. 

They had Thor, and then there was Loki. The picture-perfect Royal Family was complete, and Asgardians adored their ruling Aesir. Odin was content. 

But not for long. 

Loki, although not of Odin’s blood, resembled him so much that it reminded him uncomfortably of his youthful ambition, which drove him to find the Runes. Loki’s talent in seiðr also reminded Odin of his own well-hiddened giant heritage, and Odin knew he could never reveal Loki’s true lineage, lest anyone – most likely Loki himself – started questioning the beliefs of the Aesir he so carefully crafted. As a precaution, he named Loki the God of Mischief to lessen the credibility of his words. No one shall take a trickster and jester too seriously, even if he was a prince of Asgard and he spoke truth. 

And if that had the effect of making Loki harder in heart, sharper in words, and more callous in deeds, the growing shadow in those green eyes was a small price to be paid for Asgard’s stability. 

Loki should have no cause for complain either, seeing how Odin did the same thing to Thor as well, except in opposite ways. He praised Thor’s battle prowess, indulged Thor’s recklessness and tolerated Thor’s hot-headedness. He named Thor the God of Thunder, so of course Thor’s pride burned brighter, his moods came flash-quick, his laughter and angered-roar rumbled like impending downpour. His words, good or ill, left his mouth with the force of a lightning strike, leaving their remorseless scorching marks while he swept away like the unstoppable storm that he now often resembled. 

Odin had once made himself replaceable with Hela. He would never make the same mistake again. None of his sons shall be able to supplant him alone, although the both of them combine may rule Asgard in his absence. This was why he raised them as brothers, and constantly reminded them of the fact. Thor might sit on the throne, but he must listen to Loki in affairs of politics that required subtlety, finesse and cunning. Loki might have Thor’s ear, but he must be content to always stay in the King’s shadow. One is to be the blunt instrument, while the other is to be the delicate scalpel. They both needed to know their own place, and shall never forget it. 

The sibling rivalry was also allowed to foster. He only needed to lay the seed, then stood back and watched. Loki’s jealousy only needed slight offenses to grow, and Thor might be too careless to notice, but he was surrounded by friends whom would and did take note on such matter. The shield-maiden Lady Sif and the Warrior Three served this purpose perfectly, so certain that Thor could do no wrong that they grew wary of Loki. After all, it would not do to have either of them grown ambitions beyond their assigned stations. 

He truly meant it when he said “both of you are destined to be king”. Both of them are needed, to be the King of Asgard. But of course, even if one of them sat on the throne, Odin would still hold all the strings. This was the way it has been, and this will be the way it shall always be.


End file.
